Her Bodyguard Read Online Free PDF Page A

he owns property in Hell’s Half Acre? Just like Papa did when you met him?”
    “Now, Mari.”
    Mari pushed to her feet and began to pace the kitchen. “It doesn’t matter whether my customer was a convicted criminal or a candidate for sainthood. He was my customer in my shop and dealing with him was my business. I am not a McBride Menace any longer. I’m an adult. I am responsible for my own actions, my own deeds. My own mistakes. I cannot—I will not— have Papa leaping to the rescue whether I’m selling a man chocolate or…or…or kissing him senseless on the courthouse steps!”
    Jenny grimaced. “Please, Mari. Not the courthouse steps. That would revive your Menace reputation and you’ve worked so hard to shed it. Besides, you’d give your father apoplexy.”
    “He’s giving me indigestion. And a headache. I’ll probably break out in hives any minute.”
    “He’s worried about you, sweetheart.” Jenny rose and crossed the room toward Mari. She touched her cheek. “You’re seldom home anymore. We hardly ever hear you laugh. Ever since Alexander—”
    “I’m fine, Mama,” Mari interrupted. She didn’t want to talk about Alexander Simpson. She didn’t want to even think about the man. “I’m happy. I’ve been busy opening my business. You know what that’s like. When you opened Fortune’s Design, didn’t you work long days?”
    “And nights,” Jenny agreed. “Yes, I understand how much work is involved in launching a new business, and I know that you’ve been immersed in the entire process. Your father and I are so proud of what you’ve accomplished. But there’s more to life than work, Mari. Even during the busiest times at Fortune’s Design, I tried to maintain a social life. You, on the other hand, have done everything possible to avoid social engagements in recent months, and I don’t believe Indulgences is the reason.”
    “Wait a minute. Didn’t I speak at the Literary Society just last week?”
    “Because you were promoting your business. When was the last time you did something just for fun?”
    Mari had no answer.
    Jenny’s voice gentled. “Honey, to be frank, you’ve let the situation with Alexander affect your relationship with friends and family. That’s part of the reason your father is so concerned about you right now.”
    “There’s no need, Mama. Honestly. If Papa just has to worry, he should spend his energies fretting about my sisters. It’s been almost two years since Casey died, and Emma still visits his grave every day. And Kat, I fear she’s going to get herself in trouble with that actor. I don’t trust him.”
    “Neither does your father. He worries plenty about both Emma and Katrina, believe me. He worries about all his children. He told me that when it comes to his babies, his neck has been niggling of late.”
    Mari frowned. She didn’t like hearing that. If the niggle at the back of Trace McBride’s neck told him he had reason to worry about his children, then she wouldn’t argue. Her father was good at sensing trouble. Mari had long believed she’d inherited her intuition from him.
    The challenging thing about one of her father’s “neck niggles” was that it covered a lot of ground. He might know trouble was coming, but that trouble could be anything from physical safety to emotional pain to something as simple as one of the boys catching heck from the sheriff for one of their endless pranks.
    Mari made a note to keep a closer eye on her siblings, then said, “He goes too far, Mama. I’m an adult. He needs to treat me like one.”
    “I know, honey. I’ll talk to him. But you need to accept that he’ll never stop worrying about you, no matter how old you get. However, there are things you can do that will ease his mind to an extent and, hopefully, make his visits to Indulgences fewer and farther between.”
    “Tell me, please. I’ll do anything I can.”
    “First, start coming home at night before dark. Speak up at the supper